LONGPORT – Members of the Longport Beach Patrol are seeking support for their efforts to maintain their pensions. They are asking concerned citizens and visitors to attend the next Board of Commissioners meeting or write a letter to voice their opinions about the pension system, which is in jeopardy of being eliminated.
The commissioners discussed the pension issue Aug. 20, and it received support from Mayor Patrick Armstrong, a longtime member of the Margate Fire Department and Longport Beach Patrol. Commissioners Jim Ulmer and Dan Lawler said they were OK with eliminating pensions for newly hired guards starting in January 2026.
Six New Jersey municipalities, including Atlantic City, Brigantine, Longport, Margate and Ventnor in Atlantic County, have underfunded pension plans to the tune of $34 million, according to the Office of the State Comptroller. Implemented in 1928, the pension law requires fourth class cities bordering the ocean with a population less than 50,000, to have a pension plan for lifeguards. Longport is technically not a fourth class city but established its lifeguard pension program in 1987.
Longport and other towns were out of compliance with state requirements, actuarial calculations, and pension board membership, but are working to come into compliance. At this time, none of them have abolished their pension plans.
“The state needs to scrap the pension mandate,” Acting State Comptroller Kevin Walsh said in a news release. “It saddles a small number of municipalities with a significant financial burden, and it just doesn’t make sense to give lifelong pensions for seasonal jobs.”
He said the pensions are “overly generous” for lifeguards who work three months of the year, many of whom are eligible for state pensions working as teachers the rest of the year, or firefighters who work longer shifts and have three days off each week.
Lt. Max Mittleman, former president and current treasurer of the lifeguard union who is also a member of Longport’s Lifeguard Pension Board, said the pension is an important tool to retain experienced lifeguards.
“You will always get the one- to four-year high school and college kids, but the pension is what keeps the seniority there, and those are the people who stay to train the young guards, protect the community and keep it safe. If someone in your family goes down with a heart attack, do you want a 19-year-old high school kid running over or a 25-year-old EMT?”
He said lifeguard/EMTs are first on scene of medical emergencies on the beach. They can do CPR or administer first aid while the ambulance crew is on the way. Even though response times are quick in Downbeach towns, the lifeguards are right there to help revive or stabilize patients, he said.
Lifeguards contribute 4% of their salary toward the pension system. Upon retirement, they collect 50% of their highest three-year average.
The Longport Beach Patrol contract is set to expire in December, and pension language is already included. Negotiations started earlier this year, and the parties hope to resume meeting soon.
A group of senior guards and their attorney met with Ulmer, who chairs Finance, the administrator, chief financial officer and borough attorney on Monday to review current and future pension costs.
“They heard us out and we broke it down for them in dollars and cents,” Mittleman said.
The borough currently has 16 former lifeguards who are 45 years or older collecting pensions at a cost of approximately $118,000 per year, he said.
“Moving forward, it doesn’t look like there will be that many people collecting. We ran the numbers, and it really won’t raise taxes for the next 50 years,” he said.
He said in the past, pension funds were somewhat mismanaged, left sitting in a checking account and not properly invested to ensure growth.
If pensions were eliminated, salaries would have to increase, Mittleman said.
Avalon and Stone Harbor, which do not have lifeguard pensions, had to raise their starting lifeguard salary about 20-25% “to get guards in the door,” which is more burdensome on taxpayers, Mittleman said.
Currently, lifeguard salaries are competitive between the Downbeach towns.
“If the borough has to raise our starting pay 20%, they’re looking at an extra $150,000 a year,” he said. And the borough would still have to continue making pension payments for those already in the system.
CFO Jenna Kelly previously said the borough budgeted $130,000 this year to help catch up on the shortfall from previous years. Current balance is about $450,000, Mittleman said.
Longport recently conducted an actuarial report that indicated Longport’s contribution should be as high as $250,000 a year. An updated report may be commissioned.
As far as double-dipping with coverage in two state pension jobs, Mittleman said the seasonal pension evens out their nine-month teaching positions.
“They call it a seasonal job, but it’s a full-time, serious job during the season,” he said. “If I were to make a certain amount of money lifeguarding, what’s the difference if I worked in school during that summer. It wouldn’t be much different if I just taught those extra two or three months.”
“All of our neighboring cities receive the same pension for their beach patrols and losing this would decrease the level of safety our beach patrol provides for Longport,” the association said on a Facebook post. “We take price in our ability to keep the beaches safe with lifeguards through September and the commissioners getting rid of the pension would ruin our ability to provide you with this.”
Over the years, Longport has treated its lifeguards well, Mittleman said.
“They have always had a good relationship with Longport in terms of safety and equipment and they have always been fair and honest. We are hopeful they will stay true to that moving forward,” he said.
The meeting will be held 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15 at Borough Hall, 2305 Atlantic Ave.
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